PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk’s inspiring “We Are All Animals” tour recently made stops in Denver and Phoenix, where Ingrid gave her bold perspective on the reasons why humans are not superior to other animals and why all animals should be treated with kindness and respect.

At both events, Ingrid recognized a few of the many determined animal activists who are making a difference for animals by promoting equality, teaching kindness, and speaking out against abuse and exploitation.

In Denver, Ingrid presented Iditarod whistleblower Ashley Keith with a Speaking Out for Animals Award. Ashley was once a handler for Mitch Seavey, a musher who has won the cruel Iditarod dog sled race three times. Today, she runs Humane Mushing, a group seeking to end long-distance racing and reform this dreadful industry from the top down. She’s been an immense asset for animals by enlisting help from whistleblowers, providing an insider’s view of dog sled racing, and even traveling to Alaska with PETA staffers to protest the Iditarod.

Sarah Hewson received a Hero Educator Award from Ingrid at the Denver presentation. Sarah always finds ways to incorporate kindness into her middle-school lesson plans, speaks about humane education at events, and even writes messages about vegan living on the back window of her car, prompting conversations with students and parents alike. This busy educator works with Luvin Arms animal sanctuary and shares her experiences with her students. She also helped run Denver Baby Animal Save, an organization that hosts vigils for animals each month.

In Phoenix, Ingrid, along with Maru Vigo—PETA’s 2017 Nanci Alexander Activist Award winner—presented PETA’s Hero Educator Award to Courtney Owens, a middle-school physical education teacher who starts off each class with an animal rights discussion topic, screens animal rights documentaries, and brings vegan food for her students to try. She also organizes Tucson’s annual National Animal Rights Day.

PETA Vegan Mentor Program volunteer Lori Girshick was also presented with an award in Phoenix for being an outstanding vegan mentor. And Sachin and Ekta Sethi—the founders of the outstanding cruelty-free shoe company Rungg—received a Compassionate Business Award to honor their commitment to letting fashionistas elevate their style without harming animals. Rungg is also a PETA Business Friend and a vital supporter of our exposés, outreach efforts, and rescue work.

We hope Rungg and these wonderful activists inspire you to get active for animals by supporting vegan companies and lending your voice to animal rights in your backyard, university, or community. We also hope you’ll consider attending a PETA event in your area.